The sanctity of marriage as the bedrock of the Canadian family is steadily eroding as the country’s social fabric evolves, new census data released today reveals. Instead, although married couples are still the norm — about two thirds of families — their numbers are lagging and only increased by 3.1% between 2006 and 2011. In contrast, the number of common-law couples rose by 13.9% and lone-parent families rose by 8% over the same period.

Here are some more highlights from the report:

• On May 10, 2011, there were 9,389,700 census families in Canada, an increase of 5.5%.

• Married couples are the main family type, comprising 67% of all census families.

• The number of married couples increased by 3.1% since 2006, compared to a 13.9% increase in the number of common-law couples.